Escaping Reality (The Secret Life of Amy Bensen #1)(13)

Now I scowl. “How well does anyone know their employer?”

“You moved here for this person.”

“A job is not a person, and I know just as much about him as I do you.” The elevator opens again and I don’t give him time for a rebuttal. I step into a carpeted hallway that reminds me of a hotel corridor and note the sign pointing me to my right.

“Your boss didn’t make sure you got here safely tonight,” he points out as he joins me, and we make our way to the last apartment at the end of the hallway. “I did. Do you have your key?”

I hold it up between two fingers and stop in front of the assigned door. I just can’t think of it as “my door”. “I’m all set.”

“I’m coming in to make sure you’re safe.”

“This is good,” I assure him quickly.

“You have no idea what waits on you inside.”

Exactly. “An empty apartment and I don’t know you, Liam. I can’t invite you inside.”

And I have no idea what makes me say it, but I add, “Not tonight.”

“That’s better than not ever,” he comments. “But I’m not a serial killer and for all I know, your new boss is. Let me check the place out for you. You can stay outside while I do.”

“I’m not letting you in.”

He leans in close and presses his hand on the door above me. I can feel the heat rushing off his body. And as silly as it seems, I can’t explain it, but I can almost taste the masculine scent of him. Or maybe I just want to taste him. “I’m going to get a room across the street,” he informs me.

“Your hotel is across the street?”

“It is now. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes with a list of restaurants open at this time of the night we can choose from. My name is Liam Stone, Amy. Look me up on your computer. Then you’ll know I’m trustworthy.”

“I don’t have a computer.”

“Or enough clothes to be moving from state to state.”

I left myself wide open for that one. “I had them shipped along with my computer.”

He doesn’t look convinced. “Right. Of course. Look me up. Use your cell phone.”

“It’s broken. I have to get a new one tomorrow.”

“It’s broken.” His tone is flat.

“Yes. It’s broken.”

He considers me a moment. “Stay here and don’t go inside yet.”

Without further explanation, he walks toward the elevator.

Confused, I open my mouth to call after him and snap it shut. It’s midnight. People are sleeping. He steps into the elevator and regardless of what he’s planning I know he’ll be back, which means I need to act fast. I unlock the door, flip on the light and tug my suitcase and bag along with me.

A small hallway leads past a kitchen to my left and directly into a large open-concept dining and living area. Thankfully, I do have furniture, which is more than I had when I was sent to New York. I scan and quickly dismiss the overstuffed brown couch and two chairs. It’s the envelope sitting on a simple wooden dining table that has my attention. I set my bag down and sink into one of four chairs, reaching for the envelope. The contents I find inside are disappointingly uninformative. There is only a lease to the apartment with a note telling me to sign it and drop it by a real estate agent’s office. The first month’s rent is paid. Nothing else.

Absolutely nothing. No information about what has happened. No words to explain the threat I might be under. No triangle symbol. It’s not there. My heart starts to race. There is supposed to be a symbol on any instructions I get. I don’t know what this means. Maybe he thought this note was an extension of the last so it didn’t need it? I can’t think. I have to get rid of Liam and go to a bank machine and see how much money I have to live on. Should I run? I don’t know. I just don’t know. I have to take one thing at a time. Liam first. The rest later.

Shoving away from the table, I rush back to the door, and open it, gasping when I find Liam standing there, dark blue t-shirt stretched over his impressive chest, and he doesn’t look happy. “I told you not to go inside. It wasn’t safe.”

If having him, or anyone for that matter, worry about me didn’t feel so good I might have bristled at his reprimand. “Well,” I say, “as you see, I did go inside, and I’m happy to report that Godzilla is nowhere in sight.”

He does not look any more pleased than moments before. “We’ll talk about that later.”

My brows dip. I’m not sure I’m processing all content properly right now. Why wasn’t the symbol on the note? “Talk about what?”

“Later,” he repeats tightly, and hands me an iPad. “My Wikipedia page is up. Look it over. There’s a hotel directly across the street. I’ll get a room and suggestions for places to eat that will still be open.”

My eyes go wide. “You have a Wiki page?”

“Yes. I have a Wiki page, and despite the unauthorized information it contains, it’s fairly accurate. I’m going to check into my hotel. I’ll be back to get you in a few.” He starts to turn away.

“Liam, wait.” He pauses and looks at me. “You do know that I don’t have a Wiki page.

I’m not a model or an actress or a celebrity of any kind. I’m not even a secret heiress to a mega-fortune.”